Mrs Claus
by Gemmika
Summary: Kristoff Bjorgman has reluctantly agreed to play Santa Claus at the local mall, only to find out that his Mrs. Claus is a pretty little red-head from his past.
1. Suiting Up

**Notes: **Welcome to a brand new multi-chapter story! I really don't know why I keep doing this to myself... *sigh* Anyway, if you are in the mood for Christmas fluff, look no further! I'm not _planning _to have any explicitly smutty scenes, but I guess if it happens I'll post that separately. I hope you guys enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Frozen or any of the characters.

Kristoff didn't recognize himself as he looked into the mirror. Sure, there were his familiar brown eyes, but they seemed lost behind the wire rimmed glasses and curly white wig and beard. He didn't look anything like himself, he looked like Santa Claus. Which was probably a good thing, because that was exactly what he was supposed to look like. It was just a weird sight to see in the mirror.

He adjusted his glasses again, thankful that the props department had been able to find some clear plastic glasses instead of the typical reading glasses they gave to most Santas. He was proud of his 20/20 vision and wasn't particularly interested in ruining it just so he could play Santa Claus for the children of Arendelle. Not that he wasn't looking forward to it, it was just that he wasn't always comfortable around other people. He prefered the company of his family to that of strangers, but he had promised Pabbie that he would take his place this year. It was just his luck that they had found a costume to fit him.

"Mr. Bjorgman? The crew is setting up on the second floor. Are you ready?"

He turned away from the mirror to see Hans Westerguard, the owner of the mall's youngest son, who had been given the reins of Santa Land for his first managerial role out of school. Kristoff had only met him twice, but he wasn't fond of him. There was something about him that felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he tried to stay on his good side. He didn't want to break his promise to Pabbie just because he couldn't get along with a prick who was only there due to the beauty of nepotism.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he said with a shrug of his shoulders and followed his new boss out of the dressing room.

When he reached Santa Land, Kristoff was surprised by how many people were milling about. There were two college aged girls dressed in elf suits and another woman who, from behind, looked like she must be Mrs. Claus. The red velvet suit was a dead giveaway. There was also a small stable off to the side of the chair where he was going to sit, where a real live reindeer was chomping on carrots being given to him by what was probably his animal trainer.

"I didn't expect this many people," Kristoff admitted to Hans, his eyes wide as he took in all the colors and commotion of what would be his world for the next month and a half. There were snowmen everywhere, skating on a fake icy pond, kissing under boughs of mistletoe, and even decorating the little stable where the reindeer was. It was bright, happy and festive. He wasn't exactly a designer, but he could tell what would bring in children and this was it. It was miles better than what they had had in the past.

Hans shrugged, though he didn't look happy with the set up. "It was put into my hands this year and I wanted to make sure that the Arendelle Mall was able to compete with bigger malls nearby. We haven't had anyone but Santa here since the mall opened twenty years ago, but that doesn't really draw a crowd anymore. Having a Mrs. Claus and elves to help run the queue and take pictures with the children is a big selling point. The reindeer wasn't easy to get either, but if we want children to believe you are the _real _Santa Claus, we need some authenticity."

"I'm impressed," Kristoff said honestly, even though he wasn't pleased with the bored way the man was speaking. It was obvious he didn't really care for children, and that made Santa Land a weird place to put him.

"You should be. I put a lot of working into fixing it up," Hans said seriously. "Now come with me and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."

Kristoff started following, but he froze when Mrs. Claus turned around, a grin blossoming on her lips. A thousand memories flashed through his mind at the sight of the all too familiar face. He remembered snowball fights and camping trips, birthday parties and sneaking up into his old tree house in the middle of the night just to have a few moments alone together. He remembered a perfect first date on her fifteenth birthday. He remembered a perfect first kiss and innocent voices whispering words of young love. He remembered everything about his first love… but could it really be her or were his eyes playing tricks on him? Was that really Anna Frederickson? Could it really be her after all these years? He could barely believe his eyes, but it _had_ to be her. No one else had hair that ideal color of strawberry blonde, or talked with her hands in quite that way. He recognized the shape of her jaw and her cheek, the curve of her lips and that perfect aquamarine blue color of her eyes. It was definitely her. And here she was… playing his wife. It was as though fate had dumped her right into his lap. A reward for years of loneliness without her?

When he didn't continue to follow Hans, the man turned around to glare at him, but Anna walked over, all smiles. "Hans, I didn't realize you were coming over here this morning!" she said excitedly, the glimmer of Christmas dancing in her eyes like it always had when they were growing up. She seemed to take notice of him and her smile grew bigger. "Oh! You must be the late addition Santa Claus. I heard that the one that is usually here was sick and couldn't manage it this year. I'm Anna!"

He held out his hand to her, feeling as though he were in some kind of dream. Her hand even felt the same in his, all soft skin and small, delicate fingers. "We've met before," he told her, wondering if she would remember him. It had been eight years after all, so much had changed. Hell, he knew that he wasn't the same eighteen year old, wide eyed kid and he knew that Anna must have changed a lot since she was fifteen.

"Have we?" she asked curiously. Her brow wrinkled in concentration as she looked at him. When she studied his eyes, her own slowly widened in disbelief. "K-Kristoff? Is… is that really you?"

Without waiting for him to respond, she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly around the neck. He was surprised by the burst of affection, but not at all surprised to realize that she still smelled like wildflowers and cinnamon. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he laughed, holding her out at arms length so he could get a good look at her. She looked stunning in a figure hugging, red velvet dress with white fluffy trim. She was like a knock-out Mrs. Claus. He had a feeling there were going to be a lot of single dads coming through the line just for a chance to oggle her at a closer view. Even the married ones might like to sneak a peek. She was breathtaking, after all.

"Eight years," she said breathlessly, obviously still in shock at seeing him again. Her hands remained on his arms, as if she was afraid he might disappear if she let him go. He knew how she felt.

"You two know each other?" Hans asked, cutting in on their private moment.

Anna turned from Kristoff and gave Hans an apologetic smile. "We were childhood sweethearts," she said softly, "grew up right next door to each other."

Hans's eyes shot to Kristoff, narrowing in speculation. "Is that so?"

Kristoff shrugged. "I'm just as surprised as you are. I haven't seen Anna since she moved to the east coast to live with her aunt and uncle," he turned back to Anna, a soft expression in his eyes for her. "I didn't realize you _had_ come back. Why didn't you call me?"

She laughed and placed her hand on his shoulder again, squeezing it gently. "Why don't I show you around and we can catch up. I'm sure Hans has more important things to do than show you the ropes around here. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Kristoff cringed at the endearment. _Sweetheart?_ Were Anna and Hans…?

Hans looked like he wanted to argue, but he gave her a grim sort of smile. "Of course I do. I'll see you at lunch?" With a smile, he leaned down and kissed Anna's cheek, his eyes focused on Kristoff over her head. Kristoff knew that look. Hans Westergaard, his boss for the next 6 weeks, was telling him to stay away from his girlfriend. Great, he had found Anna and lost her all in the same five minutes. What a day this was turning out to be.

Kristoff watched as Hans stalked away from Santa Land and disappeared into a 'Restricted Access' hallway. He turned to smile down at Anna's beaming face, a warmth growing in his chest just because he was near her again. "So, I guess you should show me around?" he asked her.

"Come on, Kristoff!" Anna laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the others. "I want you to meet Sven!"


	2. The Spark

"Mommy, look! It's Mrs. Claus! And look how pretty she is!"

Anna grinned as she made her way down the line toward the little girl who had pointed her out. She was still getting used to being called 'Mrs. Claus' but she couldn't deny that she liked the sound of it. "Why hello," she said as she knelt down next to her. "Aren't you a pretty one? What's your name?"

The little girl, a tiny brunette with large brown eyes who couldn't have been more than five, smiled shyly at her. "Madelyn," she said quietly, her cheeks growing rosy with the attention she was getting.

"Well, Madelyn," Anna said softly, reaching out to put a hand on the girls shoulder, "have you been a good girl this year?"

Madelyn nodded, looking so earnest that Anna had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. "I've been so good!" she promised.

Anna looked up at Madelyn's mother. "Is that so?"

Her mother smiled, albeit with a touch of exhaustion. "She has been pretty good this year, or about as good as any four and a half year old can hope to be," she chuckled and gestured to where Santa was talking with a little boy about Madelyn's age. "We just came in to pick up one thing, but Maddy saw Santa and had to sit on his lap. I couldn't say no."

Anna grinned at Madelyn, her heart softening toward her the way it had toward all of the children that had been in line that day. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when Hans had convinced her to play Mrs. Claus, but she knew that falling in love with each and every child that gave her a hug or waved at her hadn't been it. She had agreed to it because as of yesterday he hadn't been able to find anyone for the role and she had more than enough free time on her hands while writing her book. Now, after having spent a few hours in Mrs. Claus's shoes, she couldn't imagine not being here. It felt so right. It warmed her up from the inside and gave her a purpose she had been lacking for so long. It didn't hurt that she was going to be spending the next few weeks with Kristoff.

Speaking of the Mr. Claus to her Mrs., she couldn't help but sneak a peek at him.

Kristoff had mentioned to her, during their very brief time together before the children had started lining up, that he hadn't been sure about playing Santa Claus. When she looked at him now, she couldn't stop the adoring smile that settled on her lips. He may not have been sure that he was the right choice, but she had no doubts about it. He was a natural.

She gave Madelyn a hug and waved goodbye to the adorable little girl before making her way back up the line. She rationalized that she needed to spend equal amounts of time with the children at both ends of the line, but she knew that what she really wanted was to watch Kristoff work his magic up close. It was like watching the real St. Nicholas at work. Every child that stepped up the stairs and sat on his lap was the only child in the world in that moment. Kristoff looked genuinely interested in whatever they had to say, no matter what it was. What was even more magical was how the children related to him. Sure, he could feign interest in them, but the love shining in all of the children's eyes as they sat on his lap… that couldn't be faked. He may have only been a department store Santa, but to these children he was the real thing. You could see the pure belief in their eyes. It was heartwarming.

Inch by inch she made her way up the row, her eyes fastened on Kristoff and the children. She wondered why he didn't have any of his own, he was so good with them. She had been shocked when he had admitted to her earlier that he was still single. She had always assumed that when she moved away he would find someone else, probably at college, and settle down and raise a family. What girl could have resisted him? He was a big, warm, teddy bear of a man who was also good with children. How could she have been the only one to ever see that?

She remembered what it had been like to be his girlfriend. She had been so crazy about him, felt so lucky that he had returned her feelings. It had killed her to move across the country and away from him. She had been such a starry eyed girl, so sure that they would be together forever. Could she really be the only person who had ever loved him like that? Could she be the only person he had loved that way?

He must have sensed her staring at him, because when the little boy on his lap stood up and walked away with his parents, his eyes went directly to where she was standing. Anna felt the heat travel between them and she flushed, turning her gaze back to the children in line. _You are dating Hans, _she reminded herself, but it didn't seem to ease her desire to look into his eyes again.

Being around him was going to be a lot more difficult than she had thought.


	3. Invitations

"Merry Christmas, Santa! Merry Christmas, Mrs. Claus!"

Kristoff and Anna waved to the little boy, Michael, as he wandered out the side gate of Santa Land, clinging tightly to his mother's hand. He had been the last child in the morning line, and as adorable as the kids were, Kristoff was still very much in need of a lunch break.

"He was so cute!" Anna said with an adoring smile. "I want a dozen just like him."

He chuckled and stood up so he could stretch. "I don't know about that. I imagine that more than one of any child would get exhausting pretty fast. You did see the mother yesterday with the triplets? She almost wept with relief when they set their attention on me for a few minutes."

Anna smiled softly, her mind still obviously on the adorable little boy who had just been there. "I know you're right, but he was pretty cute."

Kristoff couldn't help staring at her. He'd been watching her with the kids for the past few days and she was a natural. He could just imagine her surrounded by children with her big blue eyes and strawberry hair. He had a feeling she would make an amazing mother. He knew from experience how deeply she loved, so he knew that any child would be lucky to have her for a mother.

And then as he looked at her, his heart swelling with affection, the picture in his head shifted. He still saw Anna surrounded by children, but now some of them had brown eyes or his messy blonde hair. He and Anna sat side by side on a sofa, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and their children curled up around them. It was something he hadn't thought about in years, and yet somehow it still felt familiar. It still felt right…

"Kristoff, are you listening to me?" Anna asked him, her voice breaking through his thoughts.

"Uh, sorry, I guess I'm more tired than I realize," he said lamely, shifting his eyes away from her face and hoping that she didn't notice him flush under the beard.

"I was just asking if you wanted to change into street clothes and get some lunch with me in the food court," she suggested. "We haven't had any time to catch up together and I thought lunch might be fun."

His eyes snapped back to her face. "You want to have lunch with me?"

She grinned and slipped her hand into the cook of his arm. "I thought you'd never ask."


	4. Lunch Date

"…thankfully I handed him to his mother before he wet himself!" Kristoff joked.

Anna laughed out loud, feeling lighter and happier than she had since moving back to Arendelle. She had almost forgotten how enjoyable it was to just sit and have lunch with Kristoff. He was a charming conversationalist, making her laugh or smile with every story he told. It had been like this when they were dating too. They had their own little hideaway underneath a small willow tree on the high school grounds that they would steal away to during lunch hours. The food court wasn't quite as cozy as the willow tree, but she felt the same warmth and contentment just sitting side by side with Kristoff, their knees bumping every so often. She felt fifteen again.

When the laughter subsided, Anna took a bite of her salad and snuck a peek at Kristoff from beneath her lashes. He had filled out well in the years since she had seen him last, though even at eighteen he had sported a nice build. But now, his shoulders were a little more broad, his laugh a little deeper. If she was completely honest with herself, she was even more attracted to him now than she had been when she was a teenager. Back then she had been a young girl with a fairly innocent idea of what love was. All her day dreams ended in making out in the back of his pickup truck. Now that she was a grown woman, her daydreams may have taken her into the back of a guy's truck, but it sure wouldn't end with a simple kiss… Not that she was daydreaming about Kristoff that way! She was dating Hans, and Kristoff was just an old friend. Or at least that was what she had to keep telling herself.

"So, do you have any big plans for tomorrow?" Kristoff asked, bumping his knee against hers to get her attention again.

She flushed nervously, embarrassed by where her thoughts had gone. "Tomorrow?" she asked, drawing a blank on what he could mean. "What's tomorrow?"

"Thanksgiving?" he reminded her good naturedly. He grinned, but behind his brown eyes she could tell he was laughing at her.

"Oh, right," she said, her cheeks heating up even more with her mistake. "Elsa is flying out tonight so we can spend it together. I'm supposed to pick her up at the airport after I get off work. What about you? Are you spending the Holiday with your parents?"

She remembered Holidays with Kristoff's adopted family. There were so many of them and they were loud and fun to be around. It was so different than spending the Holidays with her family. Every meal was quiet, thoughtful. It hadn't been bad exactly, just different. Just thinking about Thanksgiving made her a little homesick for Bulda's famous turkey stuffing and the way Pabbie would suggest they all said what they were thankful for before they were allowed to dig into their meal. She wondered if things had changed in the years since she had been apart of it all. She hoped it was still exactly the same.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to go over and help Bulda first thing in the morning. I'll probably get stuck watching the kids instead of cooking, but they all seem to be pretty excited about watching the parade on television, so it won't be too bad," he said with a shrug. He sounded like he didn't care one way or the other, but she had seen him with some of his siblings before and knew that he was probably really excited to get to wrestle around with them all morning.

"How many kids are there now?" Anna asked him curiously, taking another bite of her salad. She kept forgetting that it was on the table in front of her. It was hard to remember anything when she was sitting so close to him, breathing in his scent and listening to him talk.

"Six," he sighed dramatically, making her laugh, "Mom and Dad adopted three more after you moved away and Anne had twins a few years ago. Technically Mark is thirteen now, so he won't need a lot of attention. I'll probably set him up with a tablet and one of the football games."

"Mark is thirteen?" Anna squeaked, her eyes growing wide, "I can't believe it. Wasn't it just yesterday that he was covered in chocolate and playing with hot wheels?"

Kristoff chuckled. "He still loves his cars, though now it's Grand Theft Auto instead of the hotwheels," he joked.

"I wonder if he would remember me?" Anna mused, her smile growing soft as she thought of the little dark haired boy who had followed her around everywhere when he was little. She couldn't imagine him all grown up, it was surreal.

"I'm sure he'd love to see you, everyone would," Kristoff said eagerly, reaching over and placing a hand on her wrist. "You and Elsa should drop by if you have some time tomorrow. The whole family would love it!"

Anna just stared at him, her eyes wide and round. His hand was still on her and she could feel it like a warm pulse through her body. She opened her mouth to tell him that there was no place she would rather be on Thanksgiving than with him and his family, but she spied a tall dark and handsome man walking through the food court toward them and her breathe caught in her throat.

"Hans," she managed to choke out when he was within hearing distance. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes flicked down to where Kristoff's hand still rested on her wrist and she saw a small tick go off in his cheek. "I went by Santa Land to see if you were free for lunch, but when I saw that you had closed down early," he stressed that word as he looked at Kristoff, "I thought I might find you here. I didn't realize you already had a lunch date."

Kristoff tightened his hand on her wrist. "We were just catching up," he said simply, but Anna could feel the tension in his hand and knew that his words were not as easy going as they sounded. He almost sounded like he was challenging Hans, though that was ridiculous. Kristoff didn't still have feelings for her. Whatever they had shared was a lifetime ago. She figured he just didn't like Hans. She found that a lot of people who worked at the mall weren't fond of him. She couldn't understand why.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked quickly, hoping that she could step in and put off a confrontation between the two men.

"I'd love to," he said and grabbed a chair from another table and pulled up beside her.

For some reason that she couldn't understand, her heart sank when he accepted her invitation. But why should that be the case? She enjoyed being around him, didn't she? With the warmth from Kristoff's hand still sending shivers through her, she suddenly wasn't sure of anything.


	5. Thanksgiving Pt 1

"So, Kristoff, how is the Santa Claus job going?" Pabbie asked curiously, leaning over the table and staring at his grandson who was sitting at the other end peeling potatoes.

"It's fine," Kristoff said with a shrug, keeping his eyes on the peeler in his hands. His fingers were covered in band aids from having nicked himself repeatedly in the half hour since he had started. He wasn't sure why he got stuck with this job every year, but he never seemed to get any better at it.

"Fine? That's it? Kristoff, I played Santa Claus in that mall for the past fifteen years. How are the children, how is working with the Westergaard family?" Pabbie pressed, his voice eager even in its frailness.

Kristoff gripped the peeler tighter in his hand at the mention of the Westergaards. He had yet to meet any of them but Hans, and as the days went by he liked the man less and less. He knew it was probably because Hans was dating Anna, but he couldn't help but fantasize about wiping the smirk off the man's face. "I've only met the youngest son, Hans. He's the one in charge of Santa Land this year," Kristoff said simply, hoping that Pabbie didn't press the issue any further. He wasn't sure he wanted to explain why he disliked the man so much.

"Ah, that one," Pabbie said distastefully and waved his hand dismissively. "I've seen him around a couple of times. I don't think the rest of his family takes him very seriously. Anyway, he can't be the only person you've met. What about the elves? I heard they were hiring new girls this year."

Kristoff felt a flush climb the back of his neck as he thought about the new hires. One new hire in particular. "Yeah, they hired two college girls from the local University, Sara and Jenny. They seem pretty cool so far," he paused, thinking about what else he could say that wouldn't draw the inquisition down on him. "They also got a real live reindeer for Santa Land. Sven is probably more popular than I am. All the kids want pictures with him."

Pabbie chuckled and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands across his stomach. "A real reindeer, huh? That's a nice touch. It sounds like the Westergaards made a lot of changes this year. I heard they were even getting a Mrs. Claus this year. What's she like?"

Before Kristoff could answer, or more likely, deflect the question, Bulda was pushing her way through the kitchen door, her arms full of two liter bottles of lemon-lime soda and orange juice. "Clear a spot for your Ma on the counter, Kristoff. I need to make the holiday punch!" Bulda said loudly, filling up the kitchen with her boisterous energy.

He grinned and dropped the peeler in his hand and stepped over to the kitchen counter to help her clear a space. He had long since learned to just do whatever she asked. It was easier for everyone in the long run. "There you go, Ma," he said simply, having grabbed the rest of the 10lb bag of potatoes and set it where he was working at the table.

"Such a good boy," she crooned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "It's too bad you didn't bring a date with you this year. Your mama is starting to believe that you aren't even looking."

Kristoff rolled his eyes, knowing that once Bulda got on this kick, she wasn't going to be easy to stop. "Ma, let it go, alright?"

Bulda chuckled and started hunting in her cabinets for her crystal punch bowl. She kept it hidden, only bringing it out for Holidays and special occasions. It was etched with holly berries and little snowflakes, a family heirloom. "You know, I heard from Mrs. Kearns next door that a certain red-head moved back to town recently," she said in a sing song voice. "Have you seen her?"

Kristoff realized in that moment that he had been set up. His mother had known about Anna all along, and her ribbing him about bringing a date was just her way of easing into that conversation. She was a master manipulator, as all good mothers were. He flopped into his chair at the table and sighed deeply, slightly annoyed that he was going to have to talk about Anna. "I've seen her," he said in resignation, knowing that he was about to get grilled and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Where? Why didn't you tell me?" Bulda asked, bringing her head out of the cabinet so quickly that she bumped her head on the top.

"She's playing Mrs. Claus at the mall with me, and I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this," he said, gesturing to her wide grin and excited brown eyes.

"But Kristoff, this is wonderful news! It's fate! Just sweep her off her feet. Ooh, you should invite her to dinner next week. I'll make her favorite meal…" Bulda was babbling excitedly, her words tripping over each other as she clasped her hands together. She looked so hopeful that Kristoff wasn't sure he had the heart to tell her the truth, but if he didn't she would keep pushing and he didn't need that.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right thing to say. "Ma, as much as I would love to pick things up where we left off, Anna is seeing someone else. She's been seeing him for a month or two, okay? I don't have a chance with her." And there, he had said way more than he meant to.

Bulda waved away his words as though they were of little importance. "You two were always meant for each other, Kristoff, you just need to give it some time."

He thought about Hans Westergaard, how rich, cultured and pompous he was. Part of him wanted to believe what his mother said, that he and Anna would find their way to each other again. The other part, the more rational and logical part, knew that the likelihood of Anna choosing him over her rich boyfriend was slim to none. "Drop it Ma, please."

"Invite her to dinner," Bulda insisted. "You'll see. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. Now, dice those potatoes and get them in the water. Dinner is in an hour."

Kristoff looked to Pabbie for help, but the old man had turned his attention back to the newspaper on the table in front of him. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he saw the corner of his grandfather's mouth pull up in a smile.


	6. Thanksgiving Pt 2

_A loud _**thump** _against her bedroom window woke Anna from a sound sleep._

_It was the first day of Christmas break, and she had been looking forward to sleeping in as late as she wanted. The clock on her beside table told her that her wish had not been granted._

"_Eight?" she moaned pitifully, burrowing her face back into the pillow and willing herself to fall back asleep. Whatever that sound had been, she was going to ignore it. She refused to let anything come between her and more sleep._

_Her resolve was broken when another_ **thump **_sounded through her room, followed quickly by another. She swore under her breath and rolled out of bed, hissing as the chilly air in her room hit her nice warm skin. Whoever was making that noise was going to be sorry. _

_Anna stalked across the room and threw open her window to see if she could find the person responsible for waking her. She barely had time to register the fact that there was a heavy blanket of snow covering everything before being pelted in the face with a snowball._

_She wiped the snow from her face, trying to ignore the way the icy mess began seeping into her pajama top, and glared down at the boy in her yard. It was her next door neighbor, Kristoff. He looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh, and Anna had the sudden desire to push his face into a snowbank and leave him there until Spring. _

"_Sorry, Anna!" called a deep, familiar voice. "I was just trying to wake you up!"_

"_Why?" she asked him, "You could have used the front door like a normal person, or at least waited until later in the day!"_

"_But, yesterday you said that you wanted to build a snowman during the break!" he called up to her, gesturing to the snowfall. "It might be all melted later!"_

_Anna stared down at him in amazement. He had actually been paying attention to what she said? Why did that thought send a warmth into the pit of her stomach?_

_Instead of dwelling on that new and strange sensation, she smiled down at him. "Give me ten minutes to get dressed," she said excitedly, her annoyance at being woken up completely gone. She managed to catch the smile on his face before she closed her window again._

_Anna was outside in record time, her cheeks flushed with both the bite of the cold air and the excitement of doing something as silly as building a snowman. She still couldn't believe that Kristoff, her seventeen year old neighbor, would have cared enough about her random desire to build a snowman that he had awoken early on the first morning of Christmas break just so he could help her. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. _

_He rushed to her side the moment she stepped off the front porch, his eyes bright and his smile wide. "So, Red, are you ready to build that snowman?" he asked enthusiastically._

_She beamed at him, rubbing her hands in anticipation. "Yes! But first…" she leaned down and grabbed a handful of snow, preparing to get him back for the snowball to the face she received earlier._

"_Anna…" Kristoff said nervously, backing up a few steps and holding his hands up in front of him, "it was an accident!"_

_She launched the snowball at him, managing to hit him in the ear as he was turning to run from her. "Score!" she cried, pumping her fist into the air._

_He turned around slowly, wiping the snow from the side of his face. When his eyes met hers, they were intense, burning with some emotion she had never seen in them before. Uncertainty coiled in her gut and she took a step away from him, then another. When he made a move to grab her, she let out a squeal and dashed across her lawn. He chased her around the house until they came to a corner where he boxed her in, his hands cradling a large ball of snow._

"_You know, I just wanted to make a snowman," he said thoughtfully, looking down at the snow in his hand, "but you had to go and get revenge for what was clearly an accident."_

"_I'm sorry," she choked out, her breath coming in gasps from running around and laughing hysterically. "I surrender!" She even held her hands up in front of her as a sign of truce._

_He didn't stop moving toward her, though. That look in his eyes was back, all warm and eager. No one had ever looked at her that way before, so she didn't know how to react. Instead, she felt the warmth curling from her abdomen again, sending a jolt through her heart when he dropped the snowball and put his gloved hand against her cheek. "Kristoff… what…?" she began, but was cut off by his lips, so warm and inviting, pressing against hers._

_Her hands, still raised in front of her, were forced up against his chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body up against his. Anna forgot the bite in the air, the fact that he had awoken her at eight in the morning, and sank into the warmth and promise of her very first kiss._

Anna yawned loudly, stretching her arms out as far as they would go. Elsa had dragged her out of bed a few minutes ago and she was still struggling to wake up.

"Come on, Anna," Elsa laughed, handing her a cup of hot chocolate, "I let you sleep in until ten. Do you really want to sleep the whole day away?"

She reached for the mug and grumbled. "You aren't the one working twelve hours a day, standing on your feet the whole time, and then coming home and trying to get another hour or two in on your novel. I haven't really slept since starting this job."

And the dream that she had just been woken from didn't exactly help her state of mind.

"Then why did you take it?" Elsa asked her, taking a seat at her sister's small kitchen table and looking up at her quizzically. "Your share of the inheritance is more than sufficient to keep you afloat until you sell your book."

Anna shrugged and took a long drink from her mug of hot cocoa. Warmth instantly flooded through her, shooting through her extremities and curling pleasantly in her belly. It had just the right amount of whipped cream on top, too. Elsa knew her too well. "Hans couldn't find anyone else to play Mrs. Claus and he asked me to do it as a personal favor. I was just lucky the costume fit me as well as it did," she said with a tired chuckle.

Elsa's eyes narrowed skeptically. "The costume just happened to fit you?"

But Anna wasn't paying attention to Elsa or her questions, her mind was drifting back to the dream she had had… well, memory if the truth be told. She hadn't thought about that day in a very long time, years in fact. Just being around Kristoff again was dredging them all back up, all those old emotions and memories, like their first kiss in her snowy front yard. She still remembered the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that had started that day and lasted all through the first few weeks of their relationship. It had been a perfect year, like something out of a dream. She wondered what might have happened if her parents hadn't died and she had stayed in Arendelle with Kristoff. Would it continue to have been perfect? Would something have eventually torn them apart anyway?

She sighed and stared into the now empty cup of cocoa. It was ridiculous dwelling on the past and what might have been. She and Kristoff weren't kids anymore, they weren't young lovers with stars in their eyes. She figured the only reason she had dreamed about him at all was the fact that she spent twelve hours a day with him. She had Hans and she was happy with her life and how it was going. Wasn't she?

"Anna!" Elsa said loudly, shaking Anna's arm. "Hello?"

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up from her mug and into her sister's clear blue eyes.

Elsa chuckled. "Isn't it a little early in the morning to be daydreaming, Anna?"

She smiled sheepishly and set her mug on the table. "I guess I have a lot on my mind lately."

That was the understatement of the century.

"The last time I saw you this way over a guy, you were fourteen," Elsa said with a soft smile.

Anna cringed. Another reference to Kristoff, however vague. He seemed to be plaguing her this morning, slipping inside her mind and taking over everything. She couldn't tell if she was so focused on him because they were working together, or because just seeing his face brought back all those old feelings. What would Elsa say if she knew that she was preoccupied not because she was infatuated with Hans, but because it was how Kristoff always made her feel? What did that mean for her and Hans?

"Yeah," Anna said with a forced laugh, "I guess I'm just predictable that way."

"So…" Elsa drew out the word as she grabbed the cocoa mugs off the table and placed them in the sink so she could rinse them out later, "You haven't said more than a few words about this new man in your life and I'm curious."

Anna hesitated, wondering what she could say about Hans. Shouldn't she be bubbling over with wonderful things to say about the new man in her life? She decided to cop out, it was easier. "What do you want to know?" she asked, hoping that Elsa would pick up the slack in the conversation.

Elsa leaned against the counter and gave her sister a curious look, her eyebrows knit together and pursed lips showing her confusion. "You could always tell me how you met him. I was surprised when you told me you were seeing someone only a few weeks after you moved back home."

Anna bit her lip and leaned back in her chair, putting space between her and Elsa. It wasn't that she didn't feel comfortable telling her sister about Hans, it was just that Elsa's tone made her a little unsure of herself. It was true that Hans swept her off her feet shortly after they met, and she had thought that it was incredibly romantic… until now. With the memory of her first very romantic kiss with Kristoff lingering in her mind, she wasn't sure Hans stacked up at all.

"Um, we met at the mall," she said simply.

One platinum eyebrow raised questioningly. "And?" Elsa prompted. "Is there more to the story?"

Anna shrugged.

"Usually I can't get you to shut up," Elsa said quietly, taking the seat next to Anna's. "What's up? You've been unnaturally quiet since you woke up this morning."

"I guess I'm just tired," she lied.

Elsa didn't look as though she believed her, but she didn't press the issue. "Well, how about you go shower, and then we can run out and pick up our dinner from the market. If we have enough time we can make mom's cookies."

Anna perked up at that. "The pie dough cookies?"

"Those are the ones," Elsa agreed. "Now scoot, I only have you for a few hours before you have to go back to work."

Anna smiled at her sister and did as she was told. Honestly, she was just grateful Elsa hadn't pushed her. She wasn't sure she was ready to discuss what was going on in her life right now. Kristoff was complicating everything.


	7. Black Friday

A/N: Welp... I haven't updated in nearly a year, but 'tis the season again and I'm back at it. Hope you enjoy this silly update :D

Elsa had only been in the Arendelle mall for five minutes when she wanted to turn tail and leave.

Anna had warned her ahead of time that it would be crazy the day after Thanksgiving, but Elsa had brushed her off. Honestly, how much worse could it be than any other day during the Christmas shopping season? She should have listened to her sister.

She struggled through the crowds, trying to avoid being hit with bags or plowed down by crazed shoppers looking for a good deal. While trying to maneuver through these obstacles she attempted to remember the directions Anna had given her the night before. She wanted to see this "Santa Land" that Anna had gushed about before heading back home on her evening flight. Plus, she had never seen a real live reindeer and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't excited to see if he was adorable as Anna had told her he was.

When she turned the corner around a large GAP store and came to face Santa Land in all its glory, Elsa's eyes widened in wonder. If anything, Anna had undersold her new work environment. A childlike wonder filled her as she took in the snow covered gingerbread house, the giant candy cane fences, all of the jolly snowmen doing various winter things… and the small enclosure where children held their hands out to a reindeer. He was just as adorable as she had hoped.

She slowly made her way to the enclosure, squeezing through gaps between shoppers, and winding her way around excited children. By the time she finally made it to the fence, the children who had been trying to get Sven's attention had moved on down the line and she was alone with him.

"Hello there, Sven. You sure are a handsome guy, aren't you?" Elsa asked, holding out her hand to him. He immediately nuzzled it, seeming to crave the attention of a more mature guest. "Are you taking care of my sister? She likes to rush headlong into things without thinking them through."

_Like Hans__, _she thought bitterly. Her sister hadn't had a single positive thing to say about her new boyfriend. She had barely wanted to talk about him at all, which wasn't like her. Elsa wasn't sure what was going on between Anna and the Manager, but she had a feeling it wasn't a happy relationship. If it was, Anna wouldn't be so pensive about it. And come to think of it, where was her sister?

Elsa looked around the snow covered wonderland, searching for the familiar head of strawberry blonde hair. When her gaze traveled over the small building in the middle of the area, her eyes widened in surprised. Anna looked… different. She wasn't the flighty, excitable twenty-three year old that she had known all of her life. This Anna was calm, poised, almost regal looking in her snug, red velvet dress and white lace cap. She watched in awe as Anna bent down to speak to the little girl on Santa's lap, and then grin brightly as whatever she had said brought a fierce blush to Santa's cheeks. Anna then reached out to put a hand to the side of Santa's face and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. In response, Santa placed one gloved hand over Anna's and turned his lips into her palm.

The whole scene was so natural, so tender and loving, that Elsa felt the need to look away so she didn't intrude on their private moment. The warmth between Anna and whoever was playing Santa was genuine in a way that Elsa had never seen before between two actors. Whoever was hidden inside that red suit was obviously dearer to her than her own boyfriend. It left her with dozens of questions, none of which she could find an answer for.

Anna must have spied her at the fence talking with Sven, because the next thing Elsa knew her sister was in front of her, a wide smile on her face. "Elsa! You came! I wasn't sure you would."

"I told you that I would, didn't I?" Elsa reminded her, her voice a bit brisk. She was still shaken by the intimate scene she had just watched take place between her sister and the man playing Santa.

Anna laughed and opened the gate. "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone."

"I already met Sven," Elsa pointed out, giving the reindeer one last pat as she was pulled toward the little building where Santa held his court.

"But you haven't met Santa yet, have you?" Anna pressed. "Come on! You are going to be so surprised!"

Elsa rolled her eyes but let Anna pull her along. She was obviously excited to introduce Elsa to this man in her life, but not to Hans. It was another clear indication that her sister's feelings for her boyfriend meant very little to her. She tucked that away for later and tried to turn her attention to what was going on now.

A little boy sat on Santa's lap now, his grin tugged at her heartstrings because he was missing three teeth. It was the cutest little face she could imagine.

"I really want a big stuffed reindeer that looks just like Sven!" he said. Elsa had to stiffle a giggle when his 's' sounds made a whistling noise.

"Well now, I think the north pole can handle a gift request like that," Santa said brightly, bobbing the child's nose with his index finger. "I also think a child who loves reindeer so much should get to have a picture with one. Would you like that?"

The little boy bounced up and down on Santa's lap, his grin growing wider and his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Really, Santa? I can take a picture with Sven?"

"Of course you can, Jimmy," Santa said. "Just walk over to the elf by the reindeer enclosure and let her know that I said it was okay."

"Oh, thank you Santa!" Jimmy cried, throwing his arms around Santa's neck and hugging him tight. "That's the best gift in the whole world!"

When he climbed down from Santa's lap, his gaze turned to Elsa. His eyebrows pulled together in concentration and his lips puckered in a frown.

"Can I help you?" Elsa asked him as politely as she could manage. His gaze was so intense it was unnerving.

"Who are you?" Jimmy demanded, looking from Anna to Elsa and noticing that they were still holding hands. "How do you know Mrs. Claus?"

Elsa was taken aback by his frank demeanor, but Anna just grinned and knelt down to his level. "This is Elsa, she's my sister. Santa and I didn't have time to go and visit our families for Thanksgiving, so our families came to visit us," she said seriously. Then, as though imparting a big secret, she leaned in closer and whispered her next words. "Elsa's actually one of Santa's best helpers, she's a powerful Snow Queen. She makes sure that we always get snow for Christmas."

Jimmy's eyes widened in wonder and appreciation as he looked back at Elsa. Then his eyes narrowed and he gestured for her to come closer. She bit back and smile and leaned down until they were at eye level. "Can I help you, Jimmy?" she asked again. This time she was rewarded with a smile instead of a frown.

"I have math homework due on Monday," he said conspiratorially. "Do you think you could make sure I have a snow day?"

It took all the willpower she possessed not to laugh, but she managed to keep a straight face. "Sorry, Jimmy. I have to head back home tomorrow and my powers only work when I'm near Santa Claus."

The little boy sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Ah well, it was worth a shot," he said and let his frazzled mother lead him over to the reindeer enclosure.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Elsa let out a bark of a laugh. She wasn't sure where Anna had pulled the 'Snow Queen' bit from, but that had been the most entertaining conversation she had had in years. It was almost worth having braved the crowds today. Well, that and meeting the mystery man inside Santa's suit.

Her attention was pulled back to said mystery man as he stood up from his chair and covered the few feet between them. With a wide grin, he held out his hand to her. "Well, if it isn't Elsa Frederickson," he said, the hint of a smile in his voice.

Something about that voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "I see Anna has told you about me," she said by way of greeting. She gave his hand a quick shake.

Anna seemed to be bursting at the seams with amusement. She was also biting her lower lip, the way she only did when she was keeping a bit secret. "It's always nice to see two old friends reunited," she said gleefully, clasping her hands in front of her.

Old friends? Elsa didn't know what Anna was talking about. Did she know the man playing Santa? Encouraged by her sister's words, Elsa took a closer look at what she could see of his face. His hair was completely covered by the white wig, so that wasn't a clue, but she did notice that behind the wire rimmed glasses, his eyes were a warm brown. It only took her a moment to place him.

"Kristoff?" she whispered. She only remembered at the last moment to keep her voice down so she didn't give his identity away to the children still waiting in line. It hadn't been easy though. When she realized who he was everything seemed to fall into place: Anna's disinterest in her boyfriend, the natural way the two of them acted around each other, the clear affection they had for one another. Anna had only ever really glowed this way when she had been around their old neighbor and friend.

"I bet you never thought you would see me here," he teased and pulled her in for a hug.

She didn't know what to say. She really hadn't imagined that she would see him again after they moved away, but fate had had other ideas. "It's good to see you again," she finally said, though it sounded lame even to her ears.

"I have to get back to the children, but Anna was insistent that we get to say hello," he squeezed her hands and gave her another quick hug. "It was really nice to see you. Next time you are in town we should all get together."

Elsa gave him her promise and then let Anna pull her back toward the fence so Kristoff could continue working. She didn't speak as they walked together, too shocked to do more than let the events of the past few minutes run through her mind. Kristoff was here, he was working side by side with Anna for twelve hours a day. Anna was dating the Manager, but didn't seem to like him… she still had feelings for Kristoff. It was obvious. So why hadn't she dumped Hans yet? So many questions and not nearly enough time for answers.

"I know you need to leave so you can catch your flight, but I wanted to tell you how much it means that you came out to celebrate Thanksgiving with me," Anna said seriously, grabbing Elsa's hands and squeezing them tight. "I've really missed you since I moved back."

Elsa pulled her sister into her arms and gave her a tight hug. "I've missed you too," she admitted. "But I really do have to go. Call me tonight when you get off work, all right? I need to talk to you about something and we don't have time for it now."

Anna hesitated. She wrapped her arms around her own waist and bit her lip. "Can you tell me what it's about?"

"Kristoff and Hans." She didn't mince words, she didn't have to.

Anna's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I was afraid of that," she sighed.

She really was running out of time, but she had just enough to say one last thing to her sister. "Anna, I know it isn't my business, but I think you should consider what you really want… _who_ you really want. You and Kristoff were always good together, and from what little I saw today, you still could be. Think about it, okay?"

"I will," Anna promised.

As Elsa walked away she wondered if she had only made things more complicated.


End file.
